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Amazon announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch Alexa smart display priced at $499.99, with preorders open and a release planned for later this year. A hands-on report found a responsive screen and expanded household features, but the device’s high price and some untested functions leave questions about its value.
Amazon has announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch Alexa smart display that costs $499.99 with a wall mount included, and opened preorders ahead of a release later this year. A hands-on report by The Verge describes a thinner design and new customizable home screens aimed at making the display a household hub, though its price is substantially above Amazon’s smaller Echo Show models.
The Echo Show 16’s main software feature is Screen Styles, a set of customizable home screens for family organization, smart-home controls, Alexa widgets or digital photos. Users can set a selected screen to remain visible or appear when someone approaches the device. The options are intended to put information such as the family calendar, meal plans and frequently used devices on the screen without requiring a voice request.
The Verge’s reporter tried the device at a small media event in New York City this week. The report says its Full HD screen appeared bright and clear and responded well during the demonstration. Audio comes from a speaker enclosure with eight woofers and two tweeters; the reviewer described it as clear and loud, while saying the sound lacked some depth. The report did not test whether the device’s four microphones improve Alexa’s ability to hear commands.
Amazon lists an optional Nanomatte display version at $569.99. The device also includes the full Fire TV interface and a redesigned Alexa remote, according to the report. Amazon is offering a $100 preorder discount, though the source does not specify the final discounted price for each configuration. Two optional stands are available, but the source material does not give their prices.
The Echo Show 16 represents Amazon’s push to make a smart display useful as a persistent household information screen, rather than mainly a voice assistant with a screen attached. Calendar, meal planning, photos, smart-home controls and video doorbell access could make the device a shared point of reference for a household, particularly for people already using Alexa.
That broader role comes at a steep price. At $499.99, the Show 16 costs twice as much as the $250 Echo Show 11 cited in the report, and $200 more than Apple’s new HomeView smart display, also cited there. The price may limit its appeal to shoppers who want a large, fixed display and are willing to pay for Amazon’s software and services. The hands-on report offers an early impression, not evidence of how the device performs in everyday use.
Screen Styles may also affect how owners experience the product day to day. A home screen that stays visible could make useful information easier to reach, while an ambient recommendations screen can include advertising. Amazon says users can turn off that recommendations option, but shoppers will need to choose between its content and a less promotional display setting.
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From Voice Assistant to Wall Display
Amazon’s Echo Show line has gradually gained functions beyond voice responses, but the source report describes the Show 16 as a more deliberate attempt to turn the screen into a customizable household dashboard. Its size and slim bezels make it look more like a tablet than earlier Echo Show models, according to The Verge. The report also compares its design and some hardware choices with Amazon’s new Alexa Tablet Pro 12.
Amazon head of devices and services Panos Panay told The Verge that the two products shared development work. The Show 16 uses a MediaTek processor rather than Amazon’s AZ3 chip, the report says. It is also thinner than the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21, both of which are priced at $499, according to the source.
The display offers two ambient screen options when no one is using it: a photo frame or Alexa Recommendations. Amazon said the latter can show weather, news, photos and other content, as well as ads. The report says users can instead leave a chosen home screen available or turn off Alexa Recommendations.
“Will continue to offer the broad variety of content, just as it does now.”
— Aidan Marcuss, incoming vice president of Alexa and Echo, speaking to The Verge
Questions Beyond the Demo
The hands-on report captures a short demonstration, not a full review. The reporter did not test the four-microphone setup, so it remains unknown whether Alexa can hear commands more reliably on this larger device. Everyday performance, long-term usability and how well the customizable screens work for different households have not yet been established in the source material.
Amazon confirmed to The Verge that full-screen ads can appear on Alexa Recommendations, and said they will be limited to that screen rather than appearing on other home screens. The company also said the recommendations option can be turned off. The report does not provide further detail about how frequently ads appear or what content will be shown to individual users.
The source material gives no specific release date beyond “later this year,” and does not detail the optional stands’ prices or all preorder terms. The reported $100 discount is available ahead of release, but the final checkout price by configuration is not stated.
Release and Reviews Later This Year
Preorders are open, and Amazon says the Echo Show 16 is expected to ship later this year. Prospective buyers can compare the standard $499.99 model with the $569.99 Nanomatte option and check Amazon’s current preorder terms, including how the stated $100 discount applies.
More information will be needed to judge the device beyond its first demonstration: a specific shipping date, independent testing of Alexa’s microphone performance, and review findings on the interface and sound in a home setting. Those details should clarify whether the large display’s household features justify its premium over smaller Echo Shows.
Key Questions
How much does the Amazon Echo Show 16 cost?
The standard model costs $499.99 with a wall mount included. The optional Nanomatte display version is listed at $569.99. Amazon is offering a $100 preorder discount, but the source does not specify the final price by configuration.
When will the Echo Show 16 be released?
Amazon says it will be released later this year. The source material does not give a specific date.
What can the Echo Show 16 display?
Its Screen Styles include a family organizer, smart-home dashboard, Alexa widgets screen and digital photo frame. Users can also select Alexa Recommendations as an ambient screen, which can show content including weather, news and photos, as well as ads.
Can users avoid ads on the Echo Show 16?
According to Aidan Marcuss, incoming vice president of Alexa and Echo, full-screen ads can appear on the Alexa Recommendations screen, but not on other home screens. The report says users can turn off Recommendations or choose another screen option.
Has the Echo Show 16’s Alexa microphone performance been tested?
Not in the hands-on report. The reviewer said they did not test whether the device’s four microphones improve Alexa’s ability to hear commands.
Source: theverge.com
